Grants Awarded: Fall 2019
The Education Foundation Board of Trustees was pleased to receive four applications with requests totaling $5,250 in its Fall 2019 grant cycle.
After discussion, the Board of Trustees voted to approve all four of these grants for a total of $4,450. The grants were then approved by the BH-BL Board of Education in January 2020. The grants are as follows:
1. Melissa Capobianco & Mauranda Comley: Proposal to start a Middle School FACS Club
Grant: $250
The grant will be used as seed money to create a Middle School FACS Club so that interested students can have more time than is available in the 41-minute school day blocks to take part in FACS-related activities, such as connecting with local businesses, volunteering in the community, working to promote school sustainability, demonstrating their cooking and baking skills, and working on independent projects. If the club proves to be popular with students, the teachers hope it can be included in next year’s school budget.
2. Teacher Colleen Heiner and students Cedric Sirianni and Annaliese Blowers: Request to purchase books for the High School Book Club
Grant: $1,200 for books from the Egan Fund
Currently 25 high school students are active in the Book Club. They pay dues to participate and enjoy reading and discussing books outside of class requirements. More copies of books are needed. The Foundation Board agreed that this proposal fell within the limits established for its Egan Fund, named for former long-time BH-BL librarian Mary Egan.
3. Katherine Kindl and Jennifer Martin, Charlton Heights Kindergarten: Proposal to purchase Busy Boards
Grant: $1,800 to purchase Busy Board panels and guide rails for mounting on walls
Teachers have noticed that more entering kindergarten students lack upper body strength and motor manipulation skills. This grant will be used to purchase five wooden panels that come equipped with various attractive pockets, doors and hardware to support students’ motor skills and motor planning. These will be mounted at the students’ shoulder height. The panels may include latches, mazes, gears, acrylic pockets to hold story sequence cards, buckles, laces, and other fun ways for students to practice daily living activities and pre-literacy skills.
4. Carolyn Huston, president of the new PTA: Start up funds for SEPTA (Special Education PTA)
Grant: $1,200: $800 for parent education + $400 for peer programs
SEPTA is a newly chartered organization at BH-BL to support students with special needs and their families. New York State PTA regulations limit the number of fund raisers its groups can do, so SEPTA is requesting a grant to get started with four activities: a parent education program, a vendor fair for special education parents, a “Besties” program to match high school volunteers with elementary special education students, and an elementary “Pals” program to match regular education and special education pupils.